1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a circuit body installed to an automobile as a mobile unit, and a wire harness.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automobile etc. as a mobile unit is equipped with various electronic devices. Therefore, in the automobile etc., a wire harness as a circuit body is installed in order to transmit, for example, a control signal from a computer etc. or an electric power from a power source etc. to the electronic devices. The wire harness includes a plurality of electric wires, a connector attached to an end portion etc. of the electric wires, and an exterior product such as a protector for covering a predetermined portion of the electric wires, etc.
The electric wire includes a conductive core wire, and a covering part made of an insulating synthetic resin for covering the core wire. The electric wire is the so-called covered electric wire. The electric wire is manufactured by extruding the insulating synthetic resin around the outer peripheral surface of the core wire so as to cover the outer peripheral surface with the insulating synthetic resin.
The connector includes a conductive metal terminal, and an insulating connector housing. The metal terminal is attached to the end portion etc. of the electric wire and is electrically connected to the core wire of the electric wire. The connector housing is formed in a box shape and includes a plurality of terminal receiving chambers for receiving the metal terminals.
The protector is constructed of an insulating synthetic resin and is formed in a tube shape for receiving the predetermined portion of the electric wire inside the protector. Also, a locking protrusion is disposed integrally with the protector in order to fix the wire harness to a body of the automobile, and is retained by the body.
In the time of assembling the wire harness, after the electric wire is first cut in a predetermined length, the metal terminal is attached to the end portion etc. of the electric wire. As necessary, the electric wires are mutually connected to each other. Thereafter, the metal terminal is inserted into the terminal receiving chamber of the connector housing. Also, the exterior product such as the protector is attached to the predetermined portion of the electric wire and the wire harness described above is assembled. A connector is coupled to the connector of the electronic device described above and the wire harness is installed to the automobile etc. The wire harness supplies a predetermined signal, or electric power, etc. to the electronic device.
The protector or the connector housing of the wire harness that is described above has various product numbers depending on kinds and the number of metal terminals received, thicknesses and the number of electric wires received, or a situation of installing to the automobile, etc. Further, the wire harness has various components such as a tube for harness, a grommet for harness, a clip for wiring and a waterproof stopper in addition to the protector that is described above as the exterior product, and each of the components has various product numbers.
Therefore, in factories etc. for assembling the wire harness, it was necessary to previously stock all the exterior products with the various product numbers, and space for once stocking the exterior products with these various product numbers increased and also very much time and effort to perform inventory control of the exterior products with the various product numbers were required. Further, time and effort to transport the various exterior products from the factory for manufacturing the exterior product to the factory for manufacturing the wire harness were required. For these reasons, a cost of the wire harness tended to increase.